Liquid dispenser



June 26, 1956 w, w, WELSH 2,752,069

LIQUID DISPENSER Filed May 20, 1954 I NVENTOR William W WZZSII/ BY fiaamM ATTORNEYS United States Patent G 2,752,069 mourn msPnNsER William W.Welsh, Rockviile, Md, assigner to Bowen 85 Company, Rockville, Md, acorporation of Deiaware Application Fday 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,038

Claims. (Cl. 222-207) This invention relates to apparatus for dispensingliquids, and particularly to apparatus for dispensing indeterminate butsmall quantities of liquid for immediate use. The device is particularlyadapted to the dispensing of liquids under circumstances where the useris restricted to or desires to use only one hand to effect soaking of adab of absorbent material with the liquid.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises generally a closedcontainer which may be provided with a removable or permanent top andwhich container has at least a portion thereof flexible so that downwardpressure on the top will tend to reduce the internal volume of thecontainer. At least a portion of the top of the container is of dishedconfiguration and is provided with an opening in the bottom thereofcommunicating with a conduit inside the container and so arranged thatdownward pressure on the top will force liquid contained in thecontainer upwardly through the conduit and onto the dished portionreferred to. Thus, it is only necessary for the operator to place a ballor wad of absorbent material, such as a wad of absorbent cotton, in thedished portion referred to and to press downwardly thereon. Suchdownward pressure causes material to be forced upwardly into the dishedportion, where it is readily absorbed by the absorbent material whichthen may be removed for use by the same hand that applies the pressure.Upon removal of the soaked absorbent material, any liquid remaining inthe dished portion of the container top drains readily back into thecontainer where it is protected against contamination and where undueevaporation is prevented.

The present invention is particularly useful in hospitals, doctorsofiices, or the like, where frequent and repeated use of a smallquantity of alcohol or other surface medicament is necessary. Theinvention makes it unnecessary for the doctor or nurse to go frequentlythrough the inconvenience of removing a bottle top and mam'pulating thebottle to the necessary extent to soak a small absorbent pad, thenreplacing the bottle top to protect the contents, which was the methodusually employed heretofore. The invention may obviously be employed inmany other places also, for instance, it may be used to dispense liquidcosmetics and/or tonsorial preparations in beauty parlors, barber shops,or the home. As another example, the invention may be employed todispense cleaning fluids for use in hand spotting clothing in laundriesor dry cleaning establishments, to dispense baby oil in nurseries, or todispense water to an absorbent pad for moistening stamps, gummed paper,or the like.

it is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a dispenser forliquids which will accomplish dispensing of the required amount ofliquid in response to simple downward pressure thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispenser as set forthabove wherein excess liquid drains back into the container for futureuse without substantial evaporation or contamination.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dispenseraccomplishing the objects hereinbefore set forth and wherein saiddispenser is provided with a vent where by to reduce the quantity ofliquid that would normally be dispensed to the small quantity desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser for liquidsaccomplishing any or all of the above noted objects and which is furtherof simple but durable construction, yet inexpensive to manufacture.

Further and additional objects and advantages will become apparent tothose skilled in the art as the description proceeds in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the invention taken substantiallyalong the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views of differentembodiments of the invention.

The dispenser of the present invention consists of a container 4 whichmay be of any suitable material, such as a flexible molded thermoplasticresin, but preferably a material inert to the particular liquid to bedispensed. The container 4 may be of any desired configuration but ispreferably provided with a bottom 5 and upstanding side walls 6terminating in upper terminal edges 8. The container 4 must beimpervious to the particular liquid to be dispensed and is preferablyalso impervious to air.

A removable cover it may be provided with an annular rim portiondesignated generally at 12, of inverted U-shape, and constituting anintegral portion of the top wall it). The annular rim portion 12 is ofsuch dimensions that it snugly frictionally receives the terminal edges8 of the side walls 6 in airtight relation to thus define a completelyclosed airtight container. Other suitable forms of cover may be providedto engage the container body in other manners, if desired.

It is within the scope of this invention to provide a completely andpermanently sealed container in which the top wall is integrally orotherwise permanently joined to the side walls.

The cover 10, constituting the top wall of the container, is preferablyof a flexibly resilient material, such as one of the many presentlyavailable resins, and is sufficiently resilient so that it will returnto its original configuration after being deflected downwardly in themanner to be described. In this respect to the material of the top wallmay be described as somewhat rubbery or rubberlike. The side Wall 6 andthe remainder of the container may be of rigid material, if desired, ormay be made of the same resin or the like material constitut ing thecover it As shown, the central portion of the top wall It is disheddownwardly to provide a concave area 14 in the container top. The topwall itself is provided with an opening 16 at about the lowest point ofthe dished portion 14. A disk 18 of rigid material, preferably anoncorresive or stainless metal, is dished to conform to the uppersurface of the dished portion 14 and is provided with a downwardlyextending short rigid tube 2% fixed thereto as by welding, brazing,soldering, or the like. If desired, the tube 29 may be formed integrallywith the disk 18. The interior of the short rigid tube 29 provides apassageway through the disk 18 as shown. The disk 18 and tube 2% areassembled to the top 10 with the tube 20 extending through the opening16 and the disk 18 is preferably pressed into or clamped to the top Wallit} to such an extent that the upper surface of the disk issubstantially flush with the adjacent upper surface of the top wall 10.A second annular disk 22 of rigid material, which may also be of astainless metal, surrounds the short tube 20 and abuts theundersurface-of the dishedportion 14 of the container top. Atight'fitting ring 24 is pressed onto the short tube 20 and against thesecond disk 22 to hold the disks 1% and 22 in firm pressure engagementwith the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the-top wall-19.

A length of flexible tubing 26 telescopically engages the lower portionof the short rigid tube 2% and extends downwardly and preferablylaterally to the bottom ofthe container 4. Preferably the tubing 26extends outwardly adjacent the side wall of the container and may bebevelled, as'at 28, to prevent obstruction of the open lower end by aside Wall of the container.

The top wall 10 is also provided with a relatively small vent opening 31therethrough. The vent opening is preferably laterally displaced fromthe dished portion 14 and is of .a diameter substantially less than-theinside diameter of the short tube 26.

The container hereinbefore described may be charged with a desiredliquid 32 to a suitable level indicated by the numeral 34. Hence, whenit is desired to use some of the liquid 32, the user may place a wad orball of absorbent material, such as a ball of absorbent cotton,indicated at 35 by dotted line, on the central dished portion of theapparatus, and by exerting a slight dWnward pressure on the absorbentmaterial itself the upper wal iii-may be deflected downwardly to aposition generally indicated by dotted line 38. Upon such downwarddeflection of the upper wall the normal inner volume of the container isdecreased and the liquid and any air therein are thus placed underpressure. The pressure forces some air out through vent hole 30 and alsoforces liquid upwardly through the tubing 26 onto the upper dished disk18, where it is immediately absorbed by the material 36 which may thenbe removed for use. The vent opening 3%) is provided to relieve some ofthe pressure in the container when the top it is pressed downwardly tothus prevent the discharge of too great a quantity of liquid onto thedisk 18. In usual practice a relatively small quantity of liquid issuflicient for a single use and it has been found that too great aquantity will usually be discharged unless such a vent opening as thatshown at St is provided. If the container had no vent openingStl, toogreat a quantity of liquid would be delivered onto the dished disk 13,the excess liquid would then remain thereon after the material 36 isremoved and pressure relieved from the top wall 16. The top wall itwould then assume its normal position, shown in solid line, and in sodoing would create a partial vacuum within the container which woulddraw the excess liquid through tubing and also enough air to replace theused liquid.

The vent hole'3t) permits air to enter the container to replace thedispensed and used liquid and permit the top wall it to reassume itsnormal position without the necessity of drawing air through theflexible tubing 26. Thus the level of the liquid inside the tubing 26and short tube 26 is at all times the same as the liquid level in thecontainer and subsequent charges may be dispensed from the container asreadily as desired, without having to wait for the top wall it to slowlyreturn to its normal position, which would be the case if the ventopening were not provided. Clearly, the vent opening 30 may bepositioned in the side walls 6 of the container at a position above thenormal liquid level 34, if desired.

The vent opening 30 also functions to relieve vapor pressure which wouldaccumulate in the container upon evaporation of the liquid duringperiods of non-use.

As previously stated, the upper surface of the dished disk 18 is flushwith the upper surface 'of the top wall it), thus no exposed grooves orshoulders exist around the periphery of disk 18 to prevent completedrainage of excess liquid back into the container after each use.

-While it is not absolutely necessary that the dished portion of the topwall be rigid, yet it is desirable to have it so.

In themodification of Fig. 3, the central dished portion 40 of theflexible top wall or cover 42 is made substantially rigid by embeddingtherein, during the molding process, a member 44 in the form of asubstantially rigid disk, which may be of metal, molded thermosettingresin, or the like. Preferably, the stiffening member 44 has a shortrigid tubular member 46 formed integrally therewith to telescopicallyreceive the flexible tube 26.

In the modification of Fig. 4 the central dished portion 48 constitutesan integral portion of the flexible top wall 59 but is molded insufficient thickness to be substantially rigid even though the materialthereof, when of thin section as shown at 52, is quite flexible. A shortrigid tubular member 54 may be pressed into or molded in place centrallyof the dished portion 48, as shown, to

telescopically receive the flexible tube 26.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the central dished portion 56 of thedispenser is formed entirely of-a substantially rigid material which maybe a molded thermd setting resin, such as Bakelite, or which may be ofany other suitable rigid material. The flexible top wall 58 is providedwith a central opening of a shape complementary to the peripheraloutline of the dished portion 56 and the periphery of that opening mayengage in an undercut or groove 60 in the peripheral edge of the dishedportion 56. The dished portion 56 is thus interlocked with the top wall5?, and is inset relative thereto so that the upper surfacesof themembers are substantially flush. The dished portion 56 may be insertedin the central opening of the top wall and bonded thereto after the topwall is formed or the top wall may be molded directly about the insetdished portion and bond-' ed thereto. The short rigid tubular portion62may be integrally formed with the dished portion 56 to telescopicallyreceive the flexible tube 26. Clearly, such a rigid insetas shown inFig. 5 may be secured to the top wall 58 by other interlockingengagements than that shown, many of which will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art.

While the description hereinis directed to a limited number ofembodiments of dispenser having a flexible and resilient top wall, it isto be understood that the required resilience may be provided by makingany or all portions of the container of material having suitableresilient characteristics and that other embodiments are contemplatedwithin the scope of the appended claims.

- I claim:

1. In'a dispenser for liquids, a container for the liquid, a resilientlyflexible top wall on said container mounted thereon in airtight relationthereto, said top wall being provided with'a shallow and smoothlyconcave dished portion, an opening through said dished portion adjacentthe bottom thereof, a flexible tubular conduit in said container fixedto said top wall to normally extend from said opening to the bottom ofsaid container, and a relatively small vent opening through said topwall laterally displaced from said first-named opening.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein said downwardly dishedportion is substantially rigid and located centrally of said flexibletop wall as a smooth continuation thereof.

3. In a dispenser for liquid, walls defining a closed container for saidliquid, said walls including a top wall and side walls, atleast aportion of said container being resiliently flexible so that externalpressure on the top thereof decreases the normal internal volume of saidcontainer, said top wall being provided with a shallow and smoothlyconcave dished portion with an opening through V the. bottom thereof, aflexible tubular conduit arranged in said container to extend from saidopening to the bottom of said container to deliver liquid from saidcontainer outwardly through said opening, and a vent opening throughWall is of resilient material and is provided with a first downwardlydished substantially rigid disk having a central opening therethroughand overlying said dished portion of said top wall to define the uppersurface thereof, a short rigid tube fixed to said disk in communicationwith said central opening and extending through said opening in said topwall, said tubular conduit being connected to said short rigid tube.

5. A dispenser as defined in claim 4, wherein the upper surface of saiddisk is substantially flush with the upper surface of said top wall.

6. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said top wall is removablefrom said container and is provided with means to snugly andfrictionally engage said side walls in airtight relation thereto.

7. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said top wall is ofresiliently flexible material and wherein said downwardly dished portioncomprises a substantially rigid member embedded in said resilientlyflexible material.

8. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said top wall is ofresiliently flexible material and wherein said downwardly dished portioncomprises an integral portion of said top Wall substantially flushtherewith at its edge and sufliciently thick to be substantially rigid.

9. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said top wall is ofresiliently flexible material and wherein said downwardly dished portioncomprises a substantially rigid solid member, said top wall having acentral opening complementary to the peripheral outline of said member,said member being inset in said central opening and permanently joinedto said top wall at the periphery of said central opening andsubstantially flush therewith.

10. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein said top wall is ofresilient material and is provided with a first downwardly dishedsubstantially rigid disk having a central opening therethrough andoverlying said dished portion of said top wall to define the uppersurface thereof, a short rigid tube fixed to said disk in communicationwith said central opening and extending through said opening in said topwall, a second rigid annular disk underlying said dished portion of saidtop wall around said short rigid tube, clamping means engaging saidshort rigid tube and the underside of said second disk to clamp saidfirst and second disks tightly against the upper and lower surfaces,respectively, of said top Wall, said tubular conduit being a length offlexible tubing telescopically engaging said short rigid tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

